Going Green: Beauty

Over the past 6 months, I've read lots and lots about green beauty. Things like parabens and PABAs many other potentially harmful ingredients are common in most beauty products - even those that claim to be "natural." As I've learned about the ingredients that go into the products I use everyday, I've explored other more natural options. I have eczema, sensitive fair skin, and graduate student budget. This makes things challenging, to say the least.

I read several books as references. I started with Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano, followed by her excellent Do it Gorgeously. Uliano gives practical suggestions and recipes for making your own beauty products The Green Beauty Guide by Julie Gabriel and Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me by Paula Begoun were also chock full of green beauty information. The Environmental Working Group has a thorough cosmetics database where you can review products and ingredients.

I have found some conflicting information. For example, when I was looking for a face lotion with spf at Whole Foods, I found some ingredients on the products that were deemed safe in certain low quantities. Most green advocates tend to be purists. I'd suggest not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. Daily facial and body lotions are probably the most critical products since they absorb into your skin. Focus on those two items and a gentle cleanser and you will be well on your way.

This is what I learned in a nutshell, and some products I'd recommend:

The more natural a product is, the better it is for your skin and the environment. Just like with food, you want to be able to recognize what the ingredients are. Some of the brands I like are Burts Bees (try Radiance), Aubrey's Organics, and Alba.

You don't need lots of beauty products. Your skincare regiment only needs a good cleanser, toner, lotion with spf, and body lotion. I have been using Aubrey travel kits as testers. I also like Dr. Bronner Lavendar or Rose soap for cleanser, Rosewater and Witchhazel as toner, and Earth Science Lotion or Grapeseed Oil as lotions.

You can make your own skincare products as well. It's expensive to get started with the essential oils, but can be worth it in the long run. You can check out some recipes here on the Gorgeously Green blog. Also, Mountain Rose Herbs has fantastic ingredients for making your own concoctions. You can find recipes here in the newsletter archives. See below for a recipe to get you started.

Even making a few simple changes can be good for your skin and your budget. You don't need all those expensive products. Nature has an abundance of ingredients to soothe, moisturize, and tone your skin. Find a few items you love and enjoy them.

Coming up soon: Green Makeup

Accepting Orders until December 20

Roses are Red Necklace - red pearls and garnet
Sassy Senorita Necklace - carnelian and brass chain

Holidays Sparkle Necklace - crystal, peridot, garnet

There is still time - holiday orders are accepted until December 20th! Find something original and one-of-a-kind for someone special.

Design School Art - Anni Albers inspired jewelry

A sample of Anni's work from their website.

Courage Takes Wing necklace

For my first design school exercise, I had to make a piece out of non-traditional materials. We were inspired by the work of Anni Albers, who did some fabulous jewelry and textile art. Her jewelry is simple and full of contrast, and a combination of unique materials like washers and ribbon and bobby pins. Check out their website to for textile and jewelry inspirations.

I made a piece called "Courage Takes Wing", with locknuts symbolizing the small and large courage that takes openness and strength, and the strips of fabric symbolizing the wings and beauty of living a courage - filled life.

"A longing for excitement can be satisfied without external means, within oneself; for creating is the most intense excitement one can know."

- Anni Albers

Entryway

It's been a long time! I just started graduate school in Urban Design, so I'm pretty busy these days.

Here is a little project with a big impact. The entryway is a lost art. Entryways are an important part of the home. Dressing the front door prepares us for the transition home, from work to our comfortable place.

I did a simple presentation for our entryway. It's simple and makes a pleasant improvement.

2 Sky Pencils (Ilex crenata) - low maitenance and ideal shape for height by a door

2 planters from Ross

Welcome Mat from Home Depot

Grapevine Wreath from Michaels

News Flash - Sale on Necklace Sets

Check out new necklace sets with sale priced earrings - a $15 value!

Coming Soon... Bright and Beautiful Gemstone Necklaces

I got a bead order today... can't wait to string these and have some great new necklaces to offer!!!

Rose quartz, pearls, crystal quartz, amethyst, turquoise, carnelian... oh my! Keep checking my site for the latest...

Featured Etsy Artisan: CaitlinSainio

I found Caitlin Sainio's fab shop after she kindly included one of my pieces in her treasury. Caitlin "draws pictures with thread" and makes amazing things like bracelets and hoop framed fiber art. I'm totally coveting this white crochet daisy bracelet and this rose bush wall hanging.

Enjoy meeting Caitlin below, and be sure to check out her shop for some eye candy loveliness.

• Tell us a little about yourself – your name, where you live, your work.
My name is Caitlin, and I live west of Boston, Massachusetts. I'm a stay-at-home mom to two boys, aged 2 and 5.

• Tell us about your Etsy shop and products.
I initially started my Etsy shop as an excuse to crochet Christmas ornaments. I love to crochet snowflakes and other ornaments, but our Christmas tree was running out of room for them, as were the trees of our friends and family. I opened the shop in January, 2009, with a small selection of bracelets, suncatchers, and doilies, and then added Christmas ornaments as the holidays approached. I've recently expanded into using crochet for other kinds of art: I stitch crocheted elements to fabric to create wall hangings, and use them to create paint imprints on notecards. I've really been enjoying the new focus (it gives me opportunities to use more different colors, and to crochet designs that are too complicated and unpredictable to easily work into a doily or a bracelet), so I'd like to continue in that direction for my non-holiday offerings.

• How did you get into your creating? Do you have a favorite item you’ve made? Tell us the story.
I first learned to crochet in elementary school, when the school had a craft fair as a fundraiser, and somebody taught me to crochet shell stitch strips so that I could help make an afghan. I taught myself more stitches with the help of an old "learn to crochet" book that my mom had hanging around, and later discovered tiny hooks and thread, which I love even better than yarn.

My favorite items change with my mood and the seasons. Right now, I'm completely in love with trees like the ones on this wall hanging and in these cards. I live in a neighborhood filled with huge, leafy trees, every one of which could pass for a tree of life. I was curious to see if I could achieve that strength and lushness in thread, and I'm thoroughly delighted with the results.

• What advice would you give a creative entrepreneur on starting a small artistic business?
First of all, know what your goal is. Do you want your business to be your sole support? Do you want it to provide supplemental income? Or do you simply want to make your hobby pay for itself? How you approach the business depends a lot on the answer to that question. (Those goals can change over time. I started out just wanting my crocheting to be self-supporting, and now that it does that with room to spare, I'm hoping to expand it so that it provides more supplemental income.)

After that (especially if your goal is for your business to be a significant income source), I think it's useful to do a quick back-of-the envelope calculation: how many of your products can you make in a week, how will you price them, and how much will they cost you to make? Will the resulting profit be enough to meet the goal you've chosen? (If not, it'll be necessary to make changes to your products, your pricing, or your goals. I think it's good to know that earlier, rather than later - it's incredibly discouraging to pour all of your time and energy into a business, only to realize later that it's not structured to provide the income that it needs to.)

• Do you have a person that inspires you (living or historical)? Tell us about her or him!
I've found that most people are inspiring, one way or another. I've been blessed to know and work with a lot of incredible people, over the years, and the ones I most try to emulate are those who know when to stop talking and listen, who can see other people's points of view, and who can tell when to keep trying and when to stop and ask for help. These aren't things that come naturally to me, so it's always amazing to me when I see people who seem so effortless in their grace and good judgment.

• Do you have a book or movie that makes you feel creative? Tell us about it!
I'm not a big movie watcher, but almost any book with pictures will put me in a creative mood - anything from a science textbook to a National Geographic magazine to some of the beautifully illustrated children's books that my kindergartener brings home from the library. I'll see mixes of colors or shapes or textures, and want to go make something or draw something.

• What is your favorite handmade treasure?
I come from a family that can't seem to stop making things, so my house is so well populated with handmade treasures that it's hard to pick a favorite. If I had to choose, though, my favorite would be a collection of decorative pots that my uncle made. I have probably a dozen or so, in various sizes, shapes, and colors, and I never get tired of looking at them. They're all currently squirrelled away on high shelves and in cabinets, to protect them from being loved too much by my kids, so that increases the "treasure" aspect: I love them, but almost never see most of them.

Thanks, Caitlin! You can check out the rest of the Featured Artisans here.

Jewelry: Finding a Match

I love this photo of my amazing artist friend Phaedra wearing one of my jewelry creations. Phaedra is one of my most inspiring artist friends - she is a sculptor, gardener, art teacher, domestic goddess, and more recently an encaustic artist. This bright red necklace just suits her - the top drilled stones give the piece a sculptural feel and the red is just right for her vibrant personality.

As a jewelry designer, this is my main motivation. I love helping people find something that is "them" and expresses something about their personality. Isn't that what fashion is - a way to express who we are on the inside on the outside? That's one interpretation, anyways. :-)

Perhaps this is why I'm drawn to pearls. I'm a pretty simple classic gal - I love my cream pearls. But I also have a side that loves the funky and different. For example, this Peaches and Cream necklace is one of my favorites. It's classic pearls - but funky baroque shapes and you can wear the necklace in three different ways - cream at the bottom, peach at the bottom, or asymmetrical. Classic, but funky and chic.

What's your style? What stones speak to you?

Featured Artist - SanityFairBlog

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to talented writer Skyla Freeman, the creative mind behind the fantastic blog Sanity Fair. Skyla writes about beautiful design, from interiors to fashion to art. Skyla has impeccable taste, and her blog is sure to inspire you to live artfully.

Enjoy meeting Skyla below, and be sure to visit her fantastic blog! Thanks, Skyla!

Tell us a little about yourself – your name, where you live, your work.

My name is Skyla Freeman and I'm a Southern writer – I spend most of my time right now in Alabama or Atlanta, with fairly frequent visits to DC.

Tell us about your blog. What is your subject?

My blog is called Sanity Fair. It's home décor, fashion, and art, and shopping for all of these things. It's both inspirational and aspirational. As I say on the blog, "whether you're decorating a castle or a beach shack, dressing from Saks or out of a Target sack, there's something here for you."

How did you get into your creating? Do you have a favorite item you’ve made? Tell us the story (and include a pic, if you like)!

My creating is my writing – whether it's style, home, political or cultural commentary, or speeches. Procrastination is what gets me in the mood to write. But terror is even better. My creative style could best be summed up by an old Calvin and Hobbes cartoon. Calvin: "You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood." Hobbes: "What mood is that?" Calvin: "Last-minute panic."

As for how I began writing, I don't really remember. Since I learned to hold my first marker I've wanted to put things into words. That's not to say it's all been quality stuff. Most of my elementary school years were wasted writing bad poems about things like raindrops and tigers.

What advice would you give a creative person on starting a blog?

Blogging is just another communication tool – the same as a speech, a letter, an essay, or a news article. The point is to communicate something. Ask questions before you get started. Who are you? What do you want to say? To whom do you want to say it? Really, anyone can do it. But if you can't answer those questions, you should probably just read other people's blogs. Also, maybe see a therapist.

Do you have a book or movie that makes you feel creative? Tell us about it!

The places I feel most creative are museums. I was trained as an historian, and museums are wonderfully inspiring – they're an opportunity to travel across time and geography, to eavesdrop on experiences outside of our own. I particularly enjoy art museums; the National Gallery of Art is a favorite haunt of mine. That, and travel! Nothing is more exciting than traveling – the experiences, the people, the food, the unpredictability.

If we're talking about crafting, I'm inspired by Martha Stewart, or rather, lured into vain hope and delusion by her promises of easy and successful crafting. But then I'm usually uninspired three seconds after I actually try to make it on my own. Good thing she sells kits.

What is your favorite handmade treasure?

Pretty much everything I own. I'm a "collector." And I'm also a dumping ground for family heirlooms, since everyone knows I'll treasure it as sacred forever, and in the meantime, they'll ease their conscience and free up closet space. This is how I came to possess three sets of heirloom china before I even owned a dining room table. Probably the most valuable "handmade" items I have are family letters and stories. Naturally, I treasure the written word, and these notes – many from war zones or at critical junctures in family history – are irreplaceable. They're small windows into the past.

What blogs do you enjoy following?

So many, I couldn't possibly do them justice! I collect favorite blogs the way I collect everything else (check out my blog roll for more great finds). But here are a few I'm really enjoying right now:

Odi et Amo

Secrets of Domestic Bliss

Haute Design

Table Tonic

Grant K. Gibson

High Gloss Blue

A Gift Wrapped Life

Do you have any suggestions for creatively weathering these tough economic times? How are you creatively making the best of it?

Frankly, I think any economic time is a tough one for freelancers. You're reclusive. You're highly caffeinated. You spend hours each day in your pajamas (it's that way even if you're writing a style blog. The only major difference is that if I'm in pajamas, they're by Ralph Lauren and the slippers are color-coordinated).

Since I write about fashion and décor, which are shopping-intensive, my biggest recession-friendly tip is to shop vintage. You can find the most amazing things – and no one else will have them. My favorite vintage find of all time is an Yves Saint Laurent pendent necklace I scored for $12 in a junk shop. It's incredible.

Introducing... FASCINATORS!

When I was in middle school, I had a thriving bow making business. I just love hair accessories. Now for an adult version...

Fascinators are all the rage in Europe - especially England. I've launched a new product line in Paper and Pearls - fascinators made of clips, feathers, flowers, and pearls. Simply lovely and elegant. Mine are very simple and ladylike - ideal for a wedding, special evening, church, or a date night. Or frankly for everyday - add a little something extra to a boring bun or french twist. It's all in the details, darling.

Visit Paper and Pearls to check it out!

Featured Etsy Artisan: SnowyCreekDesigns

Do you love vintage things - like lace tablecloths, aprons, and teapots? Then you're going to love meeting my latest Featured Etsy Artisan. Linda at Snowy Creek Design has a fantastic collection of vintage goodies - like this gorgeous white and red apron, or this red tulip tablecloth, or even this stunning pink creamer.

Visit Linda's shop, and enjoy her interview below! Thanks for sharing with us, Linda!

• Tell us a little about yourself – your name, where you live, your work. My name is Linda Pearson, I live in southern RI, close to CT. I'm supposed to be retired, however I'm currently running two businesses! one is my Etsy shop and the other is a new business I have just started with my daughter and a friend. We started a twist on estate liquidation, sorting and selling, instead of buying it out right.

• Tell us about your Etsy shop and products. My shop is www.SnowyCreekDesigns.Etsy.com, a mix of linen's and small vintage items.

• How did you get into your creating? Do you have a favorite item you’ve made? Tell us the story. I started out with my own designs, I love to re-purpose furniture, fabrics, just about anything. Originally, my shop had vintage fabric animal pillows, wooden cutting boards, birdhouses, and silhouettes of crows from wood. This didn't last long, slowly vintage and linen's crept in and the rest is history.

• What advice would you give a creative entrepreneur on starting a small artistic business? My advise is simple...follow your heart, listen to no one. What I feel is, everyone has an opinion, do what you want and love.

• Do you have a person that inspires you (living or historical)? Tell us about her or him! No inspiration, just memories of family and my Mom with my linen's.

• Do you have a book or movie that makes you feel creative? Tell us about it! A recent movie was "Out of the ashes" with Christine Lotti, a Jewish woman Doctor, trying to survive Auschwitz.... again follow your heart.

• What is your favorite handmade treasure? I'm a true dump picker! I found a old cupboard, thick table legs and dragged it home, creating a step back cupboard from this junk. My husband built the base, I designed it, refinished it and I recently had an antique dealer ask if it was for sale!

Thanks so much, Linda!

Thinking of Travel

As spring and summer seasons come, I start to get wanderlust. Especially with a husband in a PhD program, we're eager for some time to play together after an intense year.

I'd like to share some highlights from some of our favorite trips, in hopes that it inspires you in your travels.

First up - Niagara Falls! Booming water, images of 1950s honeymooners, astounding natural beauty... it's a fun and classically American place to visit. Not to mention that it's the spot for many movies and novels...

My husband and I took a brief trip to Niagara en route to Toronto for a wedding. We stayed in the Red Coach Inn - where you can hear the sounds of falls and watch the rush of water. We loved staying there. (I wouldn't recommend their restaurant, though.) I'm pretty sure the wedding from "The Office" took place here!

The main thing you mustn't miss is the boat ride to the base of the falls - it takes your breath away. And you get soaked. And you have FUN! Go to Maid of the Mist. You can also visit the museums to learn more about the Falls history and some of the crazy stuff people have done there. Barrels over the fall?? REALLY??

Enjoy some images and start dreaming about travel!

Featured Etsy Artisan: RabbitHollowPrims

I'm delighted to introduce you to Susan of Rabbit Hollow Prims. I found her shop on Etsy - and she is another fabulous local artist here in North Carolina. Susan creates "primitive dolls and such." Her work is charming and whimsical - I definitely want this Primitive Flora Flower Dollie, or how about this Primitive Sylvia Garden Cat?

Enjoy meeting Susan in her interview below. Be sure to check out her Etsy shop, her awesome blog with lots of helpful tips, and her website! Thanks for participating, Sue!

• Tell us a little about yourself – your name, where you live, your work.
My name is Susan O'Connor and I live in Hope Mills, NC. My regular full time job is a 6th grade Math teacher and then at night I become a mom of a 7 and 5 year old as well as a wife and then a doll maker. Life is hectic around my home.


• Tell us about your Etsy shop and products.
I have had an Etsy shoppe since 2006 but just recently over the past year started getting known and selling from it. I sell mostly primitive dolls of all varieties and seasons, as well as, vintage supplies, handmade turkey calls and not forgotten patterns. You can find my items here: http://www.rabbithollowprims.etsy.com. I love making dolls as I love to see the characters come to life and take on their own forms. Halloween is by far my favorite dolls to make.


• How did you get into your creating? Do you have a favorite item you’ve made? Tell us the story.
I got into creating young. I was very sickly from about age 11 on with UC or ulcerative colitis so I was constantly having attacks in my teens to the point of having to stay home for months to heal. During that time, my mom was doing craft shows big time and she made dolls. Mostly artist type dolls, not primitives and so being bored I would help her make them for money as she would pay me to help her. I would say my favorite item is my own design Cabbage Mama and babies. She was the first pattern I ever made. A customer had requested a flower doll be made for her and so while making the flower doll which turned out to be Rosalia another of my patterns, Cabbage mama and babies came to be...The lady liked them both so much she bought both.

• What advice would you give a creative entrepreneur on starting a small artistic business?
Start small. I started on Ebay and Etsy before Ebay was crazy with all the rules. I got myself known and built a following, then I made my website and then from there even though it costs a lot I advertised mostly through free places then eventually when I could afford it paid places. Stay diligent and persistent even in slow times. It took over a year to start working for me....

• Do you have a person that inspires you (living or historical)? Tell us about her or him!
I would say other artists inspire me as well as my mom. She helps me to this day with the dolls and without her I would be way far behind LOL. She has been making dolls for over 30 years now. I am always amazed at how well sewn and the detail work she provides with the dolls. She is a perfectionist. If you sew something and she thinks it shouldn't look that way she will tell you about it and make you feel guilty enough to redo it over until it is right LOL.

• Do you have a book or movie that makes you feel creative? Tell us about it!
I would say the new Alice in Wonderland movie has sparked a lot of creativity from me. I am going to be in a gallery opening and the theme is Alice so I had to come up with 3 pieces. I made Alice, the Cheshire Cat and the White Rabbit for the event.

• What is your favorite handmade treasure?
I would say I couldn't pick just one. I have many handmades from doll swaps I have been in and each one is unique and I love them all. But Halloween tops my list of favorites all the time.

• Do you have any suggestions for creatively weathering these tough economic times? How are you creatively making the best of it?
I honestly have been fortunate enough to be selling most of my handmades and actually be backordered on items. It has slowed down for me some now that Easter is over, but my advice is to never stop creating and doing what you feel. Make items you would love to have yourself. Don't make things on a whim and my thoughts are if it doesn't sell, I have a pretty handmade for myself or I have built up my stock which has been hard to do. I have alot of tips and pointers on selling on my blog to check out here:
http://www.rabbithollowprims.blogspot.com

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Sue! Be sure to visit her shop!

Spring has Sprung!

Aviva Necklace - lively turquoise

Miami Necklace - Tiger Eye, Turquoise, Jade, Amazonite

Venus Pearl Necklace - handmade pearl necklace, the most elegant. With handmade silver rose drop. Lovely - for brides, weddings, spring...

Basil Coconut Pearl Double Strand - lovely...

Inspired by the sun and the coming of spring, some new colorful necklaces are now available at Paper and Pearls!

New Year, New Goods

New goods in 2010!

Happy 2010! I hope you all had fantastic holidays.

As 2010 is underway, Paper and Pearls has been busy making some great new goodies.

Next up - Valentine's Day beauties for your romantic inspirations. Stay posted from some wonderful new goods!